Where I Belong
by Strawberry On Cheesecake
Summary: Tired of the media's overrated infatuation towards her life, superstar Rinoa Heartilly jumps on the first cab for escape. Little did she know, that there was more to run away from inside the cab..than anywhere else imaginable. [AU:SxR]


**WHERE I BELONG**

by _Strawberry On Cheesecake_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its prequels AND sequels.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**CHAPTER ONE: 10 Things I Hate About You**

The sound of Quistis' sighs would always mean a lot to Rinoa Heartilly. It was like an alarm; the louder it was, the more meaning it wanted to convey. Her sighs have made a huge mark not only on her, personally, but also professionally. Quistis Trepe was an awesome talent manager, and her disapproving only meant one thing: _she knew that you could do better_.

But sometimes in life, there is only about little that one could do, and there's no amount of sighing that could change that. That's the exact same reason why there is Hyne--only but one of her--and no absolute perfection._ A mortal is only a mortal_, Rinoa thought, narrowing her eyes as a reflex action from the blinding shots exploding from the outside of her window. _There is only so much that a mortal like me could do--and that's it!_

Inching away from the window, Rinoa saw herself in the most pathetic situation of all. She stared as a horde of people tried to get pictures of her, greedily taking in her every reaction to the shots and intrusion of her privacy. She actually didn't know who was more pitiful--her or the media who thought of her as a means of getting big and easy Gil. She couldn't stomach the sight any longer that she rammed the window behind the cab driver, virtually shrieking her lungs out just to get him to take her somewhere far away.

"Get off of my ride if you know what's best for you." with the partition window fully shut close by her hand, it was a little too late for Rinoa to realize that this cab was actually occupied by someone else. She turned to see the source of such unnerving voice, only to be proven wrong that ugly things come from equally ugly things.

The dimness of his side of the back seat held no restraint on those cerulean-gray eyes. They were, in contrast, even more expressive--annoyance and impatience were the color scheme. If only they weren't so, Rinoa could have regarded them as beautiful; which was a suicidal thing to do right now, considering that she's in the middle of highjacking his ride. He refused to look at her though, staring up ahead as if she was an imaginary creature that needed no attention from a 'higher life-form' like him.

Rinoa used the obvious as a leeway, hoping that he wasn't as heartless as he sounded, "But we're already moving towards the exit. The driver is going too fast for me to just jump out." the driver on the front made a curve, taking the path of the exit. Rinoa reminded herself to give him a big tip later.

"Why not? There's grass everywhere." that might sound like a joke, but coming from him, it evidently was more of a command. Rinoa crumpled her face in line for a retort, only to be forestalled by another 'joke' from him, "From where I come from, _cattle_ actually love being with the greens."

Rinoa shot her Dalmatian-inspired nail-art a look, laughter bubbling in her throat as she realized that Mr. Cranky just made a fashion misconception, "Oh yeah? Tell me about it! Sorry to burst your bubble, Sir, but from where I come from, _Dalmatians _hated the greens. They loved being inside an air-conditioned room while watching the Animal Planet."

NOW she got his attention. Mr. Cranky darted her a quelling look. He clearly wasn't used to people challenging his instructions, based on the fact that his eyes were now narrowed into slits. Beguiling though, for the 'color scheme' ran differently this time. It now boarded between curiosity and amusement, which he tried to coolly hide under Rinoa's scrutiny.

"Cattle or no cattle, the CATTLE has to go." he successfully decreed with a straight face, effortlessly reaching out to the partition window. Rinoa held onto it adamantly, and he looked at her as if her reluctance was starting to bore him. "Cute, _very cute_."

Rinoa shook her head firmly, her fingers tightening more around the little knob that she held to keep the window shut. She even decided to cajole her way out of this, jutting her lower lip out in an attempt to seduce what little gallantry that he _might_ be hiding somewhere.

But Mr. Cranky seemed to be born without any chivalrous fiber, pushing away her hold roughly, "Even cuter, but not cute enough." Now gaining control of the window, he hauled it open to change the course of her destination--outside AND now.

"PLEASE!" Rinoa exclaimed with unchecked fear in her voice. She didn't realize that she'd yell too much, until both men--Mr. Cranky and the taxi driver--stared back at her as if she'd just grown horns; not just two, but three. Either way, Rinoa thought that it was better this way, slapping Mr. Cranky's hand away from the window before closing it for privacy.

"Please don't throw me out!" Rinoa turned to him helplessly, pointing at the direction where they came from "Those people would eat me! Don't you realize what they want? They're gonna feast on me and this escapade if you'd leave me out here!"

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to care, "Don't you worry, Miss. I'm sure they don't eat uncertified products by the Department of Agriculture, and besides, you're too skinny. They won't get pretty much anything from you."

And that, once again, coming from him, wasn't very funny. Rinoa scowled, "AARRGH!!! You are BUT the most insufferable person that I've ever met! I swear to Hyne, if only I'm not being pressed by the situation to endure your company, I would squish you! Let me repeat that, I WOULD SQUISH YOU, dammit!" she forcefully threw her signature purse on the floor, shaking as the full blast of her anger seeped out from her body.

Mr. Cranky slanted a brow up, peering at the forsaken handbag on the carpet. It fell just beside Rinoa's feet, which she was repeatedly stomping to alleviate her agitation of him, "You might want to be careful with your hooves, Miss 'C'. If not, poor handbag would be squished and not me."

"Don't you dare call my pumps, hooves, you Meanie!" Rinoa snapped at him, like the ridiculousness of the context horrified her, "They're 3000 Gil, and NIRVANA custom. And have you ever had a girlfriend before, MISTER 'C'? I hope you don't me mind me asking, because I'm playing with the notion that you never had _any _with that insensitive attitude of yours."

He made a choking sound, and Rinoa took that that she was right. "I knew it. You're naturally mean to _pretty ladies_ because they don't give you any time of the day." she slowly gave into a smug smile, "HA!"

And then he laughed--rich, baritone laughter that sent Rinoa into doubting what she just said. Looking at him now, she reevaluated her impression of him--his features softened a great lot; his eyes became gentle blue, blithely crinkled on the corners and thickly lashed. His lips were sensuous, slightly fuller on the bottom, parted in a way that allowed him to produce such a sexy sound that was far from the plain, ugly quacking that she initially expected from him. Rinoa clamped her teeth together, looking away as she felt her observations threatened to cross the line.

Mr. Cranky had his fill, rubbing the inner corners of his eyes from so much laughing, "That's a good one, Miss 'C'. And to think that you ladies always throw egoistic accusations at my brethren..." he chuckled, reaching out for the partition window again. He saw Rinoa stiffen as she sensed that somehow her prevarication wasn't working, giving even more satisfaction to him as to how predictable she was, "Anyway, that's enough. I'm getting outta here."

Rinoa wrinkled her forehead, "WHAT?" She turned to the general direction of the windshield just to find out that the cab driver had stopped the vehicle. "WHY?"

Mr. Cranky raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, WHY?" He pointed at the high-rise building just outside the cab, "That's where I'd be going."

"Not anymore!" Rinoa happily declared, rapping the partition window and gesturing for the cab driver to move on. She grabbed her purse that was thrown on the floor, fishing for her cellphone which turned out to be dead, "OH SHOOT! I forgot!" She turned back to Mr. Cranky, "Hey, can I borrow your phone for a sec? I terribly need to make a call."

He stared at her incredulously for a moment, "You know what? I'm going." Mr. Cranky furiously knocked the partition window, pushing the door open to step out even though the cab was only about to stop, "BYE."

"HEY! You CAN'T go!! YOU don't UNDERSTAND!" Rinoa also slipped out of the door to follow him. He's got to be a pro-runner for, at this moment, he was already making his way up the revolving doors. Rinoa screeched to get his attention, "MISTER CRANKY!!!"

He stopped dead, turning his heel, "Don't call me that." He sighed annoyingly when he realized that he fell for her ploy; she caught up with him by now.

"What do you want?" He snapped, eyeing as he saw the superstar panting after a yard of running, "You gotta be kidding me. That's not even a quarter of my cardio."

Rinoa waved him off, "NOT LISTENING. Anyway," she pushed her bangs back, "You can't just leave me there, you know. That's not right!"

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Cranky demanded. He saw the cab driver angrily turn his engine off, swinging his door open to collect his fee, "OH."

Rinoa saw him search his pockets, bringing out a wad of Gil that was neatly clipped altogether. He paid the infuriated driver who even cussed him off, apologizing with that same straight face he used to her a while ago. Rinoa said nothing and just wrinkled her nose when the driver went on his way.

"Speechless?" Mr. Cranky fawned, watching as the tail lights of the cab slowly disappeared away from the curb. He pulled a drawstring dufflebag up behind him, preparing to go on his own, "So. I guess we'd be separating from here, Miss Cattle. Nice meeting you."

"Uh-HAW! You got that _ALL_ wrong, Mister! You're not going anywhere without me!" Rinoa took three steps ahead of him, blocking his way up the steps back to the revolving doors, "Like what I said, I do not appreciate you leaving me in there--which was the cab a while ago. And when I said that, I meant it by the most general definition of the word."

"Which is?" he almost snarled, his instincts evidently beeping danger.

"Which..." Rinoa gulped; Mr. Gentle-Blue-Eyes has completely evaporated, "Which is YOU accompanying ME." He gave her a deadly glare that she couldn't take, so she pretended to shift her eyes up to the darkening skies, "Wow. Looks like its gonna rain."

"WELL, it better NOT. Because you're STAYING down here." He marched towards the entrance, bypassing her and her upturned face. Rinoa panicked at the finality that his voice implicated, clenching her teeth together to prepare herself to challenge his decision.

She ran as fast as she could to the top of the steps, blocking his way again, "Look." She outstretched her arms, stopping him, "I know that you don't know me that well which is only rightfully conducive into not trusting me--"

"On the contrary, Miss 'C', only people who'd been living under a rock doesn't know you, and I happen NOT to be one of them. But I guess you're right about me not trusting you." He shot a critical stare, "You have been a regular of the _Chronicle_ for some time now, Miss, and that, I hate to say, is very unbecoming."

Rinoa cringed at the notion of him reading those terrible gossips about her. No wonder he didn't try liking her at first sight!

"I completely agree with you." Rinoa sighed; she knew she had to, or else her chances of standing out here would be just unbelievable! She tried meeting those eyes, silently wishing that they don't bulge out and stomp her flat on the ground, "They were sordid, unethical and very unlikely. I also wish that you try knowing me before you judge! Hyne only knows what imagination they have to fabricate such rumors! You seem to be a very smart guy to believe that!" Mr. Cranky pushed her away again, and Rinoa was itching with the urge to scratch his eyes out, "WOULD YOU LISTEN TO ME FOR A SECOND?!"

"I believe I already did that."

"Then be a gentleman this time!"

"I'm NOT a gentleman."

"But you can at least try!" Rinoa whined.

"IF I WANTED to." Mr. Cranky emphasized, grabbing her shoulder to push pass her again. Rinoa made an angry sound, clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes in frustration.

"I'M gonna SQUISH YOU _NOW_!"

Mr. Cranky saw her strut a model's strut towards him; he could have laughed at how comical she looked while seething with wrath! "And how would you do that?" he goaded, beaming a mile wide, "OH! _I know_! 3000 Gil hooves!"

"THAT DOES IT!" Rinoa dropped her purse on the ground and began hitting him aimlessly all over, "YOU DON'T play about, calling my NIRVANA pumps, hooves, you insensitive idiot!"

"AW!" Mr. Cranky exclaimed, being pushed to an angle that he could see a black Honda spotting them. The passenger's window rolled down, simultaneous to flashes coming from a professional photographer's camera. "HEY! YOU STOP THAT!"

Thinking that it was her that Mr. Idiot was pertaining to, she increased the volume of hits and intensified her jabs, "NO! I HATE YOU!"

Mr. Idiot suddenly grabbed both of her arms. He pinned them behind her back, pushing her so close to him that Rinoa lost her reason as to why she was hitting him.

"STOP!" he gritted his teeth, annoyance turning into anger splashed across his face. He spoke so low that Rinoa wondered why she thought of turning him black and blue in the first place; to think that his threatening voice alone can conjure fear from her!

"There's a media person inside that _car _below. If you want to give him the Chronicle's next frontpage picture of you, becoming very violent as you are now, _THEN _go ahead. I won't stop you!"

Rinoa narrowed her eyes. She tried to check it out herself peripherally, but Mr. Idiot's grasping was preventing her to, "You're bluffing!"

"Why should I be?" He exhaled in unfathomable disbelief, "What do I have to gain to do that? Nothing!"

He was right, but Rinoa refused to be toyed. She wanted to step back but Mr. Idiot kept her; his face a few inches from hers, "Don't even think about it."

"SO NOW you're playing HERO! Why didn't you just take me upstairs when no one was around! At least we could have prevented this ordeal from ever happening! URGHHHHH!" Rinoa tried wiggling her way out; but Mr. Idiot was firm with her wrists. He darted a look to the Honda's direction, quickly returning it back to her as if he was in the middle of weighing both of their options.

"Think as you want, but right now, your only option is to obey me! I'm the one who's calling the shots now, so listen closely to what I'm about to tell you!"

"WHAT?! You're using blackmail now? How trite--"

"MISS RINOA HEARTILLY, I don't usually enforce blackmail on ladies but I think this situation simply calls for it! Now LISTEN. If you want to save yourself from another media bashing from these guys, run to the insides of the building and look for Apartment 301 on my mark." Mr. Cranky peered with his eyes alone, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"WHY--"

"DAMMIT, Rinoa! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

He yelled, and that was enough to push Rinoa into nodding.

"Good. Now wait for my mark." he took one of his hands away from her wrists, slowly pushing it inside his trousers' pocket. He looked up to stare at Rinoa directly in the eyes, instructing her again, "Don't look at my hand. They'd notice."

Rinoa obeyed, looking back at him. Whew...his eyes were even more entrancing up close...

"When I say 'mark', you run, and don't look back, I MEAN IT!" Mr. Cranky whispered, and it was softly this time. Rinoa cleared her throat in place of a 'yes', looking at his nose bridge when she realized that she was crossing that line again.

"Okay." she croaked.

Mr. Cranky suddenly let go of her, pushing her aside, "MARK!" Rinoa shot passed him as quickly as she can, attempting to look back when he saw her, "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!"

She saw a flash of silver in his hand, too small to figure out in passing. Thinking that it was only another flash coming from the photographer's camera, she ignored the thought and continued inside the revolving doors.

"Gentlemen!" she heard Mr. Cranky say when she'd finally pass the doors. She looked back, only to find him going down the steps to have a chat with the media people.

Rinoa thought that was odd. Usually, the media would grow aggressive at this point. Why haven't they gone off the car and attack Mr. Cranky with questions and the whatnot?

"Apartment 301!" Rinoa told herself, swiftly gaining her pace to do what she was asked to do. "Go to Apartment 301, Rinoa if you want this done and over with!!!"

The elevator was taking long, so she decided to use the stairs before she changes her mind.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Squall Leonhart had never felt exhausted in his entire life. He does all sorts of jobs, putting in his one hundred percent like his life depended on it, but he never, _ever, _felt worn-out in any of them. Perhaps, what most people say is true: EXHAUSTION is only for those who_ never wanted_ what they do from the start.

He heard a squeak from across the hall; she'd be ready to come out any moment now. So snatching his gaze away from the steaming mug of tea, he brought it with him to the adjoining living room. He sat on a lazy chair and waited, even permitting himself to read the newspaper.

She came in not long after; her footsteps soft and very dainty. Squall pretended to have not heard her, engrossed with the article about third-world countries buying human fat as a result of poverty and starvation. That was stupid, but he tried to look like he was fascinated by the thought of little children chomping on pre-chewed calories. Still, no provocation from her of any sort. Wow. That's three minutes of peace in there.

From the upper edge of the newspaper, Squall saw her stop by the windows. She reached up, her fingers pushing the light draperies away for a better view of the streets. What she was thinking, Squall was beginning to grow curious of. No indication of a prank anywhere; not even a mishap. That's another three minutes in there; six minutes of undiluted harmony in total.

"Heeey **_Squall_**, you've got such a nice place." Squall didn't know how she did it, but he didn't remember her giving his name. He snatched the paper down from his eyes, only to find her grinning at him slyly. There's got to be something going on in here...He just hasn't find it out yet.

"Looks like the rain is going to drop ALL night." She continued, shoving both hands inside the pockets of the robe that he lent her, "Maybe I should start looking for a place to stay. Hmmm...What about in here?"

She twirled her finger in a way that she pertained to his pad, even smiling so angelically anybody would trade their soul to Diablos just to see that. Her fans would die. Squall wanted to die with them.

"What about looking for YET another place because the landlord doesn't want you here?" Squall tossed the newspaper aside, grabbing the mug from the night stand as he stood up. If only it wasn't scorching hot, he could have dumped it carelessly on her receiving hands. "Rinoa, I can't keep you here. Not even for an evening. So whatever you've planned in that little head of yours, save it, because its NOT gonna happen!"

Rinoa took the mug with both hands, blowing the steam away, "Let's see about that."

"We won't see anything about that, because right after you finish your tea, I'm taking you home." Squall was already on his way to the coats hanger when he noticed that his mail were opened, a pile of bills neatly stacked on top of the table. He flared up, spinning back to Rinoa whom had her palms covering her ears, "RINOA! EXPLAIN!"

"You sound like FUJ-"

"Don't try being funny now if you know what's good for you!" Squall can't believe this! How many times have he threatened a woman today? HE LOST COUNT! "So you're being smart, huh? Is this how you knew my name?"

She nodded, hands still glued on her ears.

"VEEERY SMART." Squall grabbed the pile into his hand, flapping them in front of the nosy she-devil like an angry father to his flunking daughter, "But you weren't smart enough to foresee what I'm about to do--OUT!"

"Squall--" Rinoa whined. The tabloids have to be kidding about her age, and when she began clasping her hands together in mercy, Squall decided that he was right; she's not a day older than sixteen! "Okay. I know that's inconceivable and very intrusive of me, but please hear me when I say--"

"I've been hearing what you're trying to say these past few hours, and what did I get? A generous cuss from a cab driver, media people tailing around, and a nutcase of a superstar. Did any of those sound good to you? NO!" He slapped the bills back on the table, treading irately towards the door that Rinoa could almost see ribbons of smoke coming out from his ears, "Reading other people's mail just happens to cross the line, Missy. You've just pushed me far enough to concede into kicking you out!"

He opened the door wide for her departure, "So there! Or do you want me to haul you out myself?"

"That's very brutal." Rinoa remarked weakly. She knew he was capable of exactly doing that.

"Oh yes, and if you want, I'll even do it using your hair. How does that sound?"

"Ooh...I like that."

"I'd even latch a collar around your neck...HOW'S THAT?"

Rinoa purposely ignored the taunting sarcasm in his voice, "What about handcuffs? Do you have the ones with pink fur on it?"

Squall's eyes went wild. Rinoa couldn't figure out how he managed to do some teleporting in his advantage, for the next thing she knew, she was being thrown over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

"I'm getting you out of here!" Squall gripped his arm around the back of her legs, covering huge distances propelled by adrenaline. He wanted her out, and fast; that's for sure! He was twisting the knob when she'd finally gain control of herself; screaming like a drunken alleycat when shock has subsided and reality loomed over.

"LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME! LET GO! LET GO! LET GO!" Rinoa also hit his back with her forearms. Everything was still a little hazy from the sudden change of position--how dare he treat her callously! "I swear to Hyne you insensitive jerk! If you don't let go of me right now, I'd scream so loud everybody in this apartment building would hear me!"

Squall gave a dry, evil laugh, "GO AHEAD. SEE if I care."

He swung the door open, stepping out like a victorious hunter who was ready to parade his game around the town. He took a couple of steps farther from his door, making sure that Rinoa wouldn't bolt back in his room when he puts her down.

Squall pulled her off his shoulder, but before he set her feet on the ground, he clasped on her arms, "STAY HERE."

"NO!" Rinoa wiggled stubbornly, even though it was obvious that her efforts were beyond futile, "I'm going back inside!"

She managed to force him to put her down, but Squall wasn't very easy to convince that she'd stay put once he pulls his grasps off her. Rinoa frowned up at him with disdain.

"You know, for a little girl, you're quite a handful."

"And so I've been TOLD." Rinoa replied sweetly, receiving a suspicious look from her captor. She tried wiggling again, only to have him grasp even tighter than before, "AWWWWWW! You're hurting me!"

"Why don't you just give up, Little Girl, maybe I'd even let you finish your tea." He didn't loosen his hold.

"Yeah right! Whatever." Rinoa rolled her eyes. She heard footsteps coming from the stairway on the left, and she took it as a distraction to help her think, "And stop calling me Little Girl, you Moron! If you think I was playing around when I said I'd scream, think again!" She held her breath for Squall to see, "HMMMMMPHHHHH!!!!"

Squall didn't actually think that she'd do it...but she did.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

She was really out to get what she wanted, clearly positioning Squall into the role of her offender, "HELP ME! SOMEBODY!!!! HEEEEEEEELP!!!"

Footsteps began to come their way, and Squall didn't know what to do first: to strangle Rinoa or break her neck, "What in Ifrit's hellhole are you doing?!!" He let go of her as if he'd been scorched, but she didn't take this as an indication to stop, "RINOA!"

A big silver haired man with a cheroot stuck between his teeth came running. He obviously was Rinoa's search and rescue team, "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"

Rinoa raised a brow at Squall, and to his surprise, her facial expression quickly changed when Cid came close enough to take a look at her. She even perfected the play by sobbing, "OOOOH!!!"

Cid Highwind, an older man, and an evident civil rights advocate, gave Squall a daunting look, "YOU BASTARD! What did you do to her?"

"WHAT?" Squall gaped at him. Cid gave Rinoa another look before turning back to him, ready to bring JUSTICE in his hands, "WHAT THE--"

And he realized how the situation appeared to Cid: he was the aggressor, and dammit! The little bitch had somehow managed to loosen up her robe!!! "I didn't do anything!"

"That's what every fucking asshole says!" Cid raised a fist, very ready to strike his brains out. Squall narrowed his eyes, ready to parry the blow.

However, he didn't have to, for the Mastermind of all this hubbub jumped in to do it for him. Rinoa raised both of her arms as if to block Cid's fist, slipping herself in between the two men, "NO! WAIT! You don't understand, MISTER!"

Cid gave her an odd look, although he didn't put his arm down, "You don't have to say anything, M'am--"

"No, please. Please listen to me." and with an award-winning act, Rinoa coiled her arms around Squall, like he's her chivalrous hero after all, "HE SAVED ME. The guy who attacked me went that way." since Cid came from the stairs' direction, Rinoa pointed to the opposite side.

"To the elevators?"

Although it may make her attacker sound stupid, Rinoa nodded anyway, brimming with relief, "When he saw Squall coming this way, he quickly ran to escape." She puckered her lower lip up, making it seem like trembling after a dreadful onslaught, "If it weren't for Squall...I don't know...I can't imagine..."

And then she cried, burying her face on Squall's neck. Cid took great pity on her, patting a fatherly hand behind the small of her back. Squall, on the other hand, was doing Rinoa a favor of silently counting the last minutes of her life.

"OH you poor Sweetie..." Cid whispered, nodding empathetically. He looked up from her to visually salute Squall for his 'heroism', unknowing that _Sir Galahad _was already replaying a murder scene inside his head for loopholes. "You did a great job, YOUNG LAD. Assholes like the Little Missus' attacker should be taken off the streets, and only us, can do that for the ladies."

"Right." rough, sand-papery, coming from Squall, "Absolutely."

Cid slanted his head to take another look at Rinoa, "Don't cha worry now, Miss. We won't let anybody hurt you. I live a couple of rooms away from here." He gave Squall's door a look, "You live in Room 301?"

"Actually--"

Rinoa interrupted him by raising her face from Squall's neck, "YES. I just moved in with my boyfriend."

Cid gave Squall a warning look, "You better be careful with your girlfriend from now on, SONNY BOY. You never know what happens nowadays. Don't cha leave her behind again!"

Rinoa's face lightened into a teary smile. She gazed up to meet Squall's eyes, tugging his arm like the loving girlfriend to him, "OH, I know he WON'T do that again. Right, Babe?"

Squall smiled--the effect not reaching his eyes. Cid did a little more preaching before he finally turned to go back to his own apartment; the same time did the real deal went back on its original state.

"VERY FUNNY." Squall muttered with clenched teeth, jerking himself off Rinoa's deceiving paws, "You almost had me fooled myself." He observed as Rinoa made an ostentatious stretch before winking at him, tripling the amount of caution that he intended to inflict while she's around. Moving on, he shook his head, quietly walking towards the door to reach for the knob. He twisted it midway, staring at the brass object as he pondered to himself.

Rinoa saw something change, but she didn't dare to make him known to that, "I'm not leaving, Squall..." when he didn't say anything, she sighed, "if only you'd just listen this one last time--"

He rudely left her alone by herself, storming inside the apartment and leaving the door, ajar.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

HEEEY ALL! I came up with this idea because of Nicole Kidman's ad for Chanel--you know, the one with the cab and the cute guy. Anyway, I hope this one amused you guys like it did to me...GEEZ, can anyone please tell me if Rinoa's annoying enough? Don't get me wrong--I LOOOVE Rinoa, but I'm turning a new leaf and re-making her into a little hellion that gets into everyone's nerves..(if she can get into Squall's, then she can get into anyone! RIGHT?)

Please tell me what you think!

LOVE 'Ya ALL!!!

_Strawberry On Cheesecake_

_P.S.: Next Chapter--Opposites attract when they start 'Playing HOUSE'!!_


End file.
